1. 26 April 1986

2.  There are currently 104 nuclear power plants in the US  These plants supply 20% of our nation’s energy  Two of those plants are in MN: Prairie Island and Monticello  These two plants supply 25% of the power Xcel Energy provides in the upper Midwest region

3.  Monticello’s plant started operating in June of 1971  Originally it only had a license to operate until 2010  In 2006 it received a 20 year license extension to keep it in operation until 2030.  In order to make this happen, Monticello expanded its on- site dry storage facility in 2008.

4.  As of July, 2008, there were more than 430 working power plants in 31 countries  These plants provided about 15% of the world’s power.  In France, 77% of the country’s power is nuclear  Lithuania gets 65% of its electricity from nuclear power

5.  An atom of Uranium-235 captures an approaching neutron  As soon as this happens the atom splits in two and throws off two or three new neutrons  These neutrons cause other atoms to split causing a chain reaction

6.  In order to keep the process under control, the fuel rods must be cooled  The fuel rods are placed in water (water never comes into contact with the radioactive material)  The heat creates steam which turns the turbines, creating energy

7.  Nuclear power plant  Located in Ukraine (at the time USSR)  Worst nuclear power plant accident in history  Near the town of Pripyat (home to around 50,000 people)  Supplied 10% of world’s nuclear power

8.  April 26, 1986 at 1:23 a.m. April 26, 1986  Reactor No. 4 was the explosion site  Reactor was turned off for cooling

11.  Radioactive material drifted across Eastern Europe and western Soviet Union  Prevailing winds carried fallout  Most severely contaminated areas of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine  Around 70% of the fallout landed in Belarus (2000 report)

12.  Not immediately evacuated after the incident  Soviet Union public was not informed of the disaster until April 29  The evacuation began at 2 p.m. on 27 April  More than 120,000 people, from 213 villages and cities, were relocated  30 km (18 mi.) evacuation

13.  By December, a large concrete sarcophagus had been created to seal off the reactor and its contents.  Radio operated tractors attempted to cover radioactive material  Volunteers for the cleanup were only allowed 90 seconds or less in the station  The radiation levels afterwards were 15,000 times greater than a normal person’s exposure in a year

14.  "Red Forest" because of the color the pine trees took on after dying from high levels of radiation  80% of the zone is now forested; before the disaster, it was just 20%  Wildlife has flourished over time because people have abandoned the area

15.  The evacuation zone (18 miles) around Chernobyl is still in place today  It is one of the most radioactive spots on Earth

16. Pros  Doesn’t depend on fossil fuels  CO2 emissions are minimal  A properly functioning nuclear plant releases less radioactivity into the atmosphere than a coal-fired power plant  Cost of nuclear power isn’t affected by fluctuations in oil and gas prices

17. Cons  An average nuclear plant generates 20 metric tons of radioactive waste each year  This can prove lethal to nearby life forms  It takes tens of thousands of years for the fuel to decay to safe levels  Waste has to be monitored and guarded to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands  If something goes wrong at a nuclear plant, it can turn catastrophic  The energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium which is a scarce resource

18.  You shouldn’t need a fortune teller to explain what will happen to the European environment if some things aren’t done to address the current issues. (But we’ll make one as a way to remind you.)

19. Western Europe (Air Pollution)  Acid rain has damaged about 1/2 of the Black Forest in Germany (about 2,300 square miles)  London is one of the most polluted cities in Europe. Pollution this severe can lower life expectancy by 2 years.

20. Southern Europe (Air Pollution and Climate Change)  Milan, Italy is Europe’s most polluted city. The tiny particles get into the lungs and cause breathing problems, heart disease and cancer.  Temperatures in Europe have increased by 0.76°C (1.36°F) over the past 150 years due to greenhouse gas emissions

21. Eastern Europe (Water Pollution)  Europe’s rivers provide transportation, irrigation for farmland, food and electricity  5 rivers and 17 countries pour pollution into the Danube  It is flooded with chemicals from fields, raw sewage, oil from ships and waste from factories  This pollution has spread disease to shorelines making them unsafe for residents and tourists  It has increased the production of algae which has suffocated fish and nearly destroyed the fishing industry

22. Northern Europe (Sustainability)  In 2010, 3 out of 5 Northern European countries (Iceland, Sweden and Norway) were ranked in the top 5 nations in the world for sustainability (US ranked 61 st because of large amount of greenhouse gas emissions)  These rankings were based on things such as environmental health, air quality, water management, biodiversity, habitat, forestry and climate change.  Stockholm, Sweden was named the first European Green Capital (Award started in 2010)